Use case: How to use TerrAvion and Flurosat to improve nutrient management efficiency and results

May 25th, 2018

Growers will soon be able to use TerrAvion imagery combined with our partner FluroSat’s detailed crop analytics to precisely identify the Nitrogen fertilization requirements early enough in the season to maximise yield while minimising unnecessary application costs. Using FluroSat management zones and recommended tissue sampling schemes results in field-wide accurate nitrogen values, rather than the “pot luck” scattered points you get from traditional field scouting and sampling. With FluroSat you know exactly where to fertilize at the right time to get the best yield possible.

FluroSat uses TerrAvion’s narrow spectral bands centred in red-edge and NIR regions of the spectrum bands to generate Canopy Chlorophyll Content Index (CCCI) and Normalised Difference Red Edge (NDRE) maps of your fields. NDRE provides an estimate of plant growth with reduced interference from non-plant areas such as soil. CCCI, as a derivative of NDRE, is designed to estimate the chlorophyll status of the vegetative areas. FluroSat’s CCCI index is tailored to field-per-field analysis of total chlorophyll, with emphasis on highlighting variability of N across the field.

Below is an example of a barley field mapped both in CCCI and NDVI. The CCCI map clearly shows (in the dark blue region running west from center) a zone where 50% more urea was applied, where the NDVI only shows scattered areas with more vegetation.

Having collected the tissue samples in the most representative areas of the field, growers use the FluroSat platform to generate accurate Nitrogen Maps by calibrating their fields to a few tissue sampling results. Once calibrated the Nitrogen Parts Per Million (ppm) content values can be viewed across the entire field.

Through calibration of tissue sampling results to crop type and growth stage, the FluroSat Platform also identifies areas of Nitrogen deficiency, sufficiency and surplus; allowing growers to vary the rate or even avoid application to a particular zone based on its sufficiency.

FluroSat’s unique analysis has been successfully used to optimize Nitrogen application on cotton and grain crops, and is rapidly expanding to other crops including vegetables. With TerrAvion, FluroSat is seeking innovative growers to take part in trialling our upcoming integration. You’ll benefit by getting immediate access to precise, accurate and actionable nitrogen data of your fields, and be in the driver’s seat for additional nutrient and stressor data currently under development.